Not Just A Kiss
by Jennifah88
Summary: What if Rory and Jess had kissed when the sprinkler went off that day? What would have happened? This fic explores just that. Rory and Jess explore their relationship; from the angst to the humor, and even some unexpected surprises. R/J
1. Default Chapter

Not Just A Kiss - Chapter One  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Summary: What if Rory and Jess had kissed when the sprinkler went off that day? What would have happened? This fic explores just that. Rory and Jess explore their relationship; from the angst to the humor, and even some unexpected surprises. R/J  
  
~  
  
She had been cold, and dripping wet when they had kissed the second time. But it hadn't been unpleasant, not in the least. In a way, it made it that much more thrilling - it would be forever imprinted in her mind for years to come. The air had been crisp and cool, a stark contrast to the desire that hung between them, and she knew whenever she would look back and think of their kiss, it would be with a smile. Maybe that wasn't much, but it was something, at least, so for that she was grateful.  
  
Shivering slightly; half from the water that trickled down her skin, and half from something else, buried deep inside of her. Anticipation, maybe, or perhaps...no, she didn't wish to think about that. Not now.  
  
She could remember being only a few feet away from him before she started to move, one foot stepping in front of the other, almost against her will. Her muscles had tensed up when she had gotten near him, but when their lips had come together; it had felt like the most natural thing in the world.  
  
They had kissed. Gently at first, but then harder, rougher, until she had to pull away, gasping for breath. He had kissed her then again, softly, almost hesitantly, as if he were afraid she might pull away again.  
  
They had both stood there, for quite sometime, after the kiss had ended. Rory chewed nervously on the inside of her lip, because she didn't know quite what to say. She wished she were better at these things, but in truth, she was extremely awkward at them; the present situation proving just that.  
  
"Jess," she finally managed to say, her voice breathy and small. She realized then that she was scared, not of him, but of what would happen. What COULD happen.  
  
"I hate to say this after we've had our moment here," Jess said, pausing for a moment. He looked like he was pained, something Rory would have never expected. "But you need to stop doing this to me."  
  
"Doing what? Kissing you? Okay, I'll stop then."  
  
A slight smile appeared on Jess's face. "No, that's not what I meant. I'm talking about these mixed signals you keep giving me. One moment you're all over me, kissing me, and then the next moment you've reverted back to some sort of ice princess, and want nothing to do with me. Which is it, Rory? 'Cause I'd really like to know."  
  
She bowed her head, ashamed at her own action. She hadn't meant to lead anyone on, Jess OR Dean, but she had ended up doing both. Seeing the raw hurt on Jess's face... it struck something deep inside her, because she knew that she had caused it. "I'm sorry," she finally said.  
  
"You're sorry? That still doesn't give me any answers."  
  
Quickly turning away from him, she turned her head to stare at the fallen leaves and wet grass, not wanting to see the anger or disappointment in his eyes. "I don't have all the answers right now. I wish I did, but I don't. God, I'm just so confused, Jess."  
  
He smirked at her - actually SMIRKED - before stepping forward, taking her shaking hands in his own. "You didn't seem so confused when you kissed me."  
  
"That was a mistake. I didn't mean to-"  
  
"Don't say that," he interrupted. "Just don't. You and I both know there's been this...tension, between us, even from the very first day. You kissed me because you wanted to. Admit it, Rory."  
  
"Well, yeah," she said sheepishly, looking down at the ground. "An invisible force didn't exactly take control of me so I could kiss you. I know I did it of my own free will."  
  
"So what's the problem, then?" His eyes bore deep into hers, as if searching for answers she didn't have. "What are you so scared of?"  
  
"US!" she finally shouted, her voice ringing across the yard, and probably the entire town. "I'm scared of us, okay? You and me. It's just...something I've never experienced before. I've been in this relationship with Dean for so long. He was my first boyfriend, my only boyfriend. I sort of don't know what I'd do without him."  
  
"But you owe it to him not to lead him on," Jess stated firmly, gripping a-hold of her shoulders. "If you no longer feel the way you used to about him, then maybe that relationship isn't the healthiest thing for either of you."  
  
"I know. I just don't want to hurt him more than I already have. He's been so good to me...but I can't help the way I feel."  
  
"About who?" Jess asked coyly, finally seeming to get what she was getting at.  
  
"You."  
  
"Oh, really? And just how do you feel about me?"  
  
She scratched her chin, as if to contemplate that. Finally, she gave him a teasing smile. "Do you really want me to answer that?"  
  
"I think I do."  
  
"Well, maybe I don't want to tell you." She grew serious for a moment, her eyes clouding over. "Jess, where does this leave us?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"I mean, with Shane and everything. Are you guys still together or what?"  
  
"The thing with Shane and I...it wasn't serious, Rory. Sure, we kissed, but there weren't really any emotions attached to it."  
  
Rory raised her eyebrows in disbelief, not quite sure if she believed him or not. "Then why were you guys together in the first place?"  
  
"I was trying to get over you."  
  
Standing there, her mouth hanging open, Rory gave him a surprised look.  
  
"What, does that surprise you or something?"  
  
"Yeah, it kinda does."  
  
"Well, it shouldn't." He turned to kiss her, his mouth hovering only inches from her own. She breathed in his breath, sweet and fresh, and parted her lips. Just as they were about to kiss, Rory heard the sound of crunching leaves in the background, and then a startled cry.  
  
Turning around, she came face to face with Dean, who was starring at her in openmouthed horror. 


	2. Chapter Two

Not Just A Kiss ~~ Chapter Two  
  
Authors Note: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! They meant so much to me. =) I do happen to treasure each one of your responses, no matter if they're as simple as 'continue soon, please.' In case you guys are wondering, this fic takes place directly after the episode 'Eight O'Clock at the Oasis' which is in the third season. If anyone has any other questions feel free to drop me an email. Thanks.  
  
~  
  
Rory's mouth hung open as she watched her boyfriend stare at her accusingly, his gaze angry and hurt. She quickly stepped away from Jess, opting not to do anymore damage than had already been done. Her hands fell to her side, and for a moment nobody spoke.  
  
Finally, Dean's voice cut through the air like a knife. "Rory, how could you...?" he began, his voice wobbling.  
  
"Let me explain-" Rory tried, but the look on his face made her cringe. There was such pain there, and she knew she had been the cause of it.  
  
"Don't say you can explain. There's no explanation you can give for what I saw. You were kissing another guy. Jess, to be exact."  
  
She looked into his eyes pleadingly. "I never meant to hurt you-"  
  
"Save it, Rory," Dean seethed. "All this time we were in a relationship, all this time you professed to LOVE me, you were really leading me on all along. You never really loved me. I wish I could have seen that sooner."  
  
"I did love you! It's just that, as time wore on, it evolved into a different kind of love. I was no longer IN love with you, but I cared about you very much, which is why I was trying not to hurt you."  
  
"Then maybe you shouldn't have kissed Jess," Dean said bitterly. "Maybe you should have told me of these newfound feelings you suddenly developed so I wouldn't have to watch my girlfriend in the arms of another guy. Do you have any idea how much that hurt me? DO YOU?"  
  
Tears were streaming down Rory's face now, as the truth of what he was saying finally struck her. She wished she could of done things differently, but now it was too late; the damage had been done. "I'm sorry," she said simply, not knowing what else to say.  
  
Dean turned and sulked away, his head bowed, starring ahead wordlessly. Rory watched him go, knowing there was nothing she could do but wanting to do something just the same.  
  
"Are you okay?" Jess asked quietly, sometime later, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen between them.  
  
She looked up at him, tears forming in her eyes, and nodded her head slowly. "Yeah, I'm okay. I just didn't think it would hurt this badly."  
  
"He'll get over it eventually. I know it sounds pretty harsh, but it's the truth. Until then, there's not much you can really do."  
  
"Do you think he'll ever speak to me again?"  
  
Jess shrugged his shoulders. "Hard to tell. Maybe, maybe not. I wouldn't worry about it either way."  
  
"Jess!"  
  
"Sorry, sorry." He smiled apologetically at her. "I guess I was bitten by the green bug, huh?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well, he IS your boyfriend-"  
  
"Ex-boyfriend," Rory stated, finally finding the courage to say those words. Actually, they felt rather good on the tip of her tongue now that she had said them.  
  
"Right. Anyway, the point was he still means an awful lot to you either way, and I guess I got kind of jealous, okay?"  
  
"Why Jess Mariano, actually confessing to some sort of insecurity?" Rory teased, pretending to sound shocked. "I'm surprised, to say the least."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, don't rub it in."  
  
Rory socked his arm playfully, feeling a smile tug at the corners of her lips. After the somber conversation she just had with Dean, it felt good to smile. Really good. "Come on, I guess we should get inside," she added, finally feeling the chill of the harsh afternoon air on her wet skin. She hadn't realized it until now, but she was freezing.  
  
"Yeah, I guess I better get going. Better put on something decent," he said, turning to look down at his wet clothes.  
  
"No, you don't have to go. My house is just up the street. You can change into one of my old sweatshirts or something."  
  
"Welllll..." Jess's voice trailed off. "If it wouldn't make you too uncomfortable-"  
  
"No, it wouldn't make me uncomfortable. Why would it?" Rory asked, raising her eyebrows.  
  
Jess simply shrugged his shoulders. "Well since we're now an item - or whatever, I just thought maybe you wouldn't want to be alone with me without parental supervision."  
  
Rory rolled her eyes at him, beginning to walk up the path towards her house. "Who are you and what have you done with Jess?" she joked.  
  
Upon arriving at her house, Rory quickly headed towards her bedroom and changed into some jeans and a sweatshirt, and drying her hair with a towel that lay crumpled in the corner.   
  
When she came out, she saw Jess sitting at the kitchen table, tossing the saltshaker from one hand to the next. She gave him a skeptical look. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Well, it looks like something's wrong. You're acting so fidgety."  
  
He put the saltshaker back down on the table. "I'm fine."  
  
"You sure about that?"  
  
"Positive. So when is your mom coming home?"  
  
Rory strained to remember. "In a few hours. I think she's working late at the Inn or something."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I was just thinking she wouldn't like it very much to come home to find me sitting at her kitchen table." A troubled expression pained his face, and Rory figured there was something still bothering him.  
  
"I don't think she'd really mind," Rory told him, but even as she said those words, she didn't really believe them. It's true that Lorelai might not care if Jess came over for a visit, but what if she found out that she and Jess were an item? What then?  
  
"Somehow I doubt that."  
  
"You're so cynical."  
  
Jess smirked at her; a gesture that sent shivers down her spine. "You kind of have to be in today's world."  
  
"Now you're sounding old fashioned," she commented with a wry smile, bending down to give him a peck on the lips.  
  
As they continued to chat, Rory couldn't help the nagging doubt that was still forming in her mind, ever present. She knew that her mom was going to go through the roof when she found out about her relationship with Jess. Hell, half the town would. It wouldn't do to keep the relationship a secret, either, because that could only lead to trouble.  
  
But she was going to have to make a decision soon, one way or the other. 


	3. Chapter Three

Not Just A Kiss ~~ Chapter Three  
  
~  
  
Suppertime at the Gilmore household was pretty uneventful, as far as suppers go. Rory rarely spoke, and when she did, it was to only make mindless small talk about unimportant things such as soap operas and toothpaste.   
  
She was afraid that if she so much as opened her mouth about anything regarding Jess or Dean, the events that took place earlier that day would come tumbling out. And she really didn't want that to happen. So she silently chewed on a piece of slightly stale pizza, as she listened to Lorelai ramble on about her job working at the Inn. All the while only one thing remained on her mind; Jess, and what she was going to do about their relationship.  
  
To say Lorelai wouldn't be pleased about the latest development would be an understatement. It was true she wasn't too fond of Jess to begin with, but if she found out he was dating her daughter? She would go ballistic.  
  
At a little after seven that evening they decided to head down to Luke's Diner at Lorelai's suggestion. Rory was very torn over this - on one hand, she was excited to see Jess, but on the other, she wasn't sure how they would react around each now that everything was out in the open. Would things be weird or awkward between them? They had parted quite happily, but things had a way of changing when you least expected them to. She knew from experience.  
  
As they walked into the diner, she breathed in the smell of coffee and felt a little better. Caffeine had a way of doing that to her.  
  
"So did I tell you about the new George Cloony look-alike that the Inn just hired?" Lorelai gushed, draping her jacket over one of the chairs and sitting down. Rory soon did the same, drumming her fingers on the table while her mother retold the story. Something about Lorelai's enthusiasm made her feel just a little bit better, too.  
  
"Can I get you two anything?" Luke asked, breaking into their small talk.  
  
They both grinned up at him, before saying, at the exact same time, "Coffee!"  
  
"Why do I even bother asking?" he said dryly, with a roll of his eyes. "Coffee will be here in just a few minutes. Or not. We have some tourists here, and they don't speak English, so we're have some difficulties taking their orders."  
  
Lorelai waved her hand frantically in the air. "Ohhh, I can help! I can speak foreign languages and everything."  
  
"Aloha doesn't count."  
  
"Darn," she said, pouting at him. "How about Pig Latin?"  
  
"I'll be right back," Luke said, before stepping away.  
  
"Meanie."  
  
Rory just sat there throughout their exchange, smiling inwardly. Watching her mom and Luke banter always brought a smile to her face, no matter what the ocassion.  
  
A few minutes later, and still no coffee had arrived. Rory could hear her mother grinding her teeth, eager for the caffeine fix. Chuckling, she glanced towards the counter to see if Luke was having any luck with the tourists.  
  
While she was watching them, she felt someone tap her shoulder. Turning around, she saw that Jess was standing there, with two cups of coffee in his hands.  
  
"Hey," he said, setting the coffee down on the table. "Uncle Luke said to bring these over. Thought you might be needing them." He let out a wry grin.  
  
A blush formed on Rory's cheeks the instant she saw him, thinking back to their kisses earlier that day. She quickly managed to cover it up by coughing rather loudly. "Uh, thanks," she managed to stammer out.  
  
"Yeah, thanks," Lorelai said, rather shortly, before taking a sip of her coffee.  
  
"Sooo..." Jess's voice trailed off. "Anything else you need?"  
  
Lorelai shook her head. "Nope. We're good here."  
  
"That's good." An awkward silence lingered over the next minute; none of them daring to say a word. "So, mind if I join you guys while I'm on my break?"  
  
"Sure," Rory said, before Lorelai could interrupt. She really wished her mom and Jess could get along, but of course, that was never going to happen. "So how'd the thing with the tourists go?"  
  
"I think one of them is filing a law suit. Either that, or they ordered cherry pie. Luke's still handling it last I checked."  
  
"Well I guess you should go help him out, then," Lorelai offered with a bright smile, although her intentions were clear. "We'll be fine."  
  
"I think he's got it covered, but if you really want me to go-"  
  
"No Jess, you don't have to leave," Rory cut in, sending her mother a scathing look in the process.  
  
"You sure?'  
  
"Positive."  
  
They smiled at each other, just nice and sweet, and full of longing, for a good full minute. It could have been longer, in fact, but neither of them could tell; they were so caught up in each other. Rory felt her pulse quicken, something she hadn't felt for a long time - not around someone who was her boyfriend, at least, and her heart sped up, and she really hated the expression, but she felt like she was drunk on love. That's the only way she could describe it; blurry and soft, yet surprisingly clear in some moments, the moments that were left unguarded between them.  
  
Lorelai finally cleared her throat, the action was quick and loud, and it broke both Rory and Jess out of their reverie. They looked up, their faces flushed, embarrassed at having been caught by Lorelai of all people. Rory fiddled with her paper napkin, gazing downward, not meeting her mother's eyes.  
  
While her mother merely coughed, Rory could already tell she was displeased. And who could blame her? As far as her mother knew, Rory was still together with Dean, all the while making mooneyes at Jess. She knew that she had to set Lorelai straight, eventually, but she was really not looking forward to the task.  
  
"Uh, Rory?" Lorelai asked, rather softly, probably as to not be heard by Jess. "Can I talk to you for a sec? Alone.'  
  
Beads of sweat trickled down Rory's neck. She knew what was coming. And she knew what she had to do. "Sure." She scooped up her jacket, before turning to Jess. "I'll be back in just a minute."  
  
Stepping out into the brisk night air, Rory gave a slight shiver from the cold. She snuggled into the jacket further, trying to ward off the cold.  
  
"So what did you want to talk to me about?" she finally asked, attempting to sound as innocent as possible.  
  
"I think you know." 


End file.
